It was Albert Coss's day at the Jewish Home of Ireland in Dublin yesterday. The only known surviving soldier from the first World War living in the Republic, he was 100. There among all the great and the good to celebrate with him were the Chief Rabbi, Dr Gavin Broder, the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Mark Sofer, Mr Ben Briscoe TD, his sister-in-law, Mrs Debbie Briscoe, the (approximately 40) residents of the home, Albert's sundry relatives, and Millie.
It was also Millie's day. Millie is Albert's 93-year-old wife. They have been married 67 years. "One of the sweetest ladies it is my privilege to know," said Mr Joe Briscoe, in a message.
Millie and Albert still hold hands. According to Mr Ronnie Appleton of the Hebrew Congregation in Belfast, where Millie was born, she has a reason. "She's afraid I'm going to run off with a blonde," Albert told him.
And it was to Millie Albert handed the cheque he received from the President, Mrs McAleese, after it was presented to him by the ambassador. It was for £2,000, a special for centenarians in this millennium year.
Born in Leeds. he joined the King's Royal Rifles at 15 and went off to the trenches. His stories are the by-now-familiar ones: rats as big as dogs, mud "up to your neck", friends killed, everyone shooting at they knew not what across from them, no man's land on Christmas Day and shouting greetings to the German soldiers, then "bang, bang, bang" once more at midnight.
In February 1916 they found out his age and he was sent home. He joined the Royal Artillery and was soon back in France and Belgium again, as part of a flying column which supplied 18-pounder guns, as back-up, to the forces.
He stayed in the army until 1922, then returned to England where he worked as a tailor in the midlands. In about 1927 he went on a holiday to Belfast and met Millie. They married six years later and lived in Belfast until 1955, when he got a job with the Lily Roberts firm on the quays in Dublin. They have a daughter.
"A century of Jewish tragedy, trial and tribulation but also hope" (with the setting up of the state of Israel) was how Mr Sofer described the past 100 years. And Albert has weathered them well, with the gritty resilience and particular humour of his people.
